Help!!! Lethargic hen

[chickentenderbunny]

Ok I got her to drink it all. Now I just have to wait.

 

[chickentenderbunny]

She just had her first dropping. No worms yet.

 

[dawg53]

She just had her first dropping. No worms yet.

You may or may not see worms excreted in feces. They are mostly digested as protein.

 

[chickentenderbunny]

You may or may not see worms excreted in feces. They are mostly digested as protein.

Oh okay! How often should I do the flush? Her poop has been brown and runny. I also wanted to ask if there’s any food alternative you can recommend? The stores were out of buttermilk and yogurt I think because the date expired.

 

[azygous]

Just the one flush. You can use keifer. It's the same as yogurt with live cultures.

You can also make a buttermilk substitute with ACV, one tablespoon of the vinegar with the sediment mixed into one cup milk.

Or buy probiotic tablets from the vitamin aisle.

 

[chickentenderbunny]

Just the one flush. You can use keifer. It's the same as yogurt with live cultures.

You can also make a buttermilk substitute with ACV, one tablespoon of the vinegar with the sediment mixed into one cup milk.

Or buy probiotic tablets from the vitamin aisle.

Okay thank you so much!

 

[chickentenderbunny]

Ok so I found out the Pig Swig I had expired so I went to get a new dewormer. The lady at the feed store recommended either safeguard or ivermectin when she found out how old my hen was. The safeguard is almost as expensive as taking my hen to a vet so I decided to try the ivermectin. Single dose pea sized.

 

[chickentenderbunny]

Does anyone know how long it’s suppose to take to see signs of improvement?? Sorry, I’m just very worried and anxious for her. She’s still lethargic and not eating much. I weighed her today and she’s only 1lb 2 oz

 

[azygous]

Do you have any Corid on hand? I'm thinking she could have coccidia in her intestines if she has worms. Coccidia are also parasites. You can safely treat her for coccidiosis on top of the Ivermectin. Corid is just a thiamine blocker, and is perfectly safe.

If you don't have Corid, I highly recommend you get some and try this. You will give her .2ml straight liquid Corid once a day for three days. At the same time, you will mix half a teaspoon of Corid into a quart of her drinking water each day for five days.

Don't give her anything with B vitamins during the Corid treatment. In a week, you will repeat the treatment with just the drinking water part as a followup.

I'm also suspicious she has a bacterial infection. It could be a result of the coccidia eroding her intestines. This would require a sulfa antibiotic, and you would need to ask a vet for the prescription. Talking a vet out of a prescription for a chicken they won't treat is a complicated dance, and you may need to get an adult involved.

You might have more luck persuading a vet out of this prescription if you collect a poop sample before starting Corid treatment and ask the vet to run a fecal float test for coccidia and worms. This can identify any worms that remain that the worming hasn't been able to target, as well as detecting a heavy load of coccidia. This would indicate to the vet that the sulfa antibiotic is necessary, and they would be more likely to prescribe it.

 

[chickentenderbunny]

Do you have any Corid on hand? I'm thinking she could have coccidia in her intestines if she has worms. Coccidia are also parasites. You can safely treat her for coccidiosis on top of the Ivermectin. Corid is just a thiamine blocker, and is perfectly safe.

If you don't have Corid, I highly recommend you get some and try this. You will give her .2ml straight liquid Corid once a day for three days. At the same time, you will mix half a teaspoon of Corid into a quart of her drinking water each day for five days.

Don't give her anything with B vitamins during the Corid treatment. In a week, you will repeat the treatment with just the drinking water part as a followup.

I'm also suspicious she has a bacterial infection. It could be a result of the coccidia eroding her intestines. This would require a sulfa antibiotic, and you would need to ask a vet for the prescription. Talking a vet out of a prescription for a chicken they won't treat is a complicated dance, and you may need to get an adult involved.

You might have more luck persuading a vet out of this prescription if you collect a poop sample before starting Corid treatment and ask the vet to run a fecal float test for coccidia and worms. This can identify any worms that remain that the worming hasn't been able to target, as well as detecting a heavy load of coccidia. This would indicate to the vet that the sulfa antibiotic is necessary, and they would be more likely to prescribe it.

I unfortunately don’t have corid on hand but i was wondering if she had coccidia too after looking it up earlier. Her condition looks bad so I’m gonna see if anyone in my local community has one since the feed store is far so I can treat her right away.

I think the nearest vet is closed for today so I’ll try tomorrow!